


What Big Eyes You Have (you still can't see anything)

by AngeNoir



Series: Inktober 2017 [15]
Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Anthropomorphic People, Anthropomorphic, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Pining, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 06:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12451116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngeNoir/pseuds/AngeNoir
Summary: Sam Wilson is just a little distracted, okay?Inktober Drabble 15 = Universe: Avengers Academy / List: Anthropomorphic People / Prompt: The Owl





	What Big Eyes You Have (you still can't see anything)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for inktober, based on the prompt "The Owl" from an Anthropomorphic People list. (You can see [and prompt me!] my initial post about my inktober writings [here](http://outercorner.tumblr.com/post/165938959460/so-i-am-gonna-be-trying-this-inktober-thing-but).)

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to get me to see,” Sam grumbled under his breath, scratching the back of his neck, fluffing the feathers out. Kamala had been very clear that she couldn’t date, but it didn’t change the fact that they enjoyed one another’s company. She didn’t mind doing study dates with him; she was way more at easy hanging out with him if there was more than one person around. He loved her and he definitely didn’t want to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with, so they were sitting at the computer as Loki cackled over some book he had in his hands, Taskmaster sat at the other study table with three different books, and Steve - freaking  _Captain America_  - was studying strategy next to the interactive display.

“Okay, fair, I guess not everyone’s looking for it, but just - do you know Tony’s schedule today? Or just his schedule in general?”

Sam frowned at the computer screen for a long moment, weighing answers in his head. “I mean... Tony is, he just generally hangs around? He helps Janet with parties and stuff? He’s not ever really in just one spot...”

“No,” Kamala sighed. “He’s not. Which means that the fact that he’s been sitting across the path, fiddling with his gauntlet, for more than two hours is...?”

When he realized she had trailed off, expecting him to answer, he wracked his brain for something intelligent to say. Kamala’s fur was sleek, but he could see a little puffing up of fur around her ears and cheeks, her tail starting to lash back and forth slowly, indicating annoyance. Sam knew he could be oblivious to things, but he hadn’t thought he’d missed anything important...

“That... he’s there for a reason?” he tried.

Grumbling under her breath, black fur lifting up in frustration, she flicked her cat ears towards Steve Rogers.

Sam glanced at Steve, whose back was to them, and then back at Tony, who had apparently been looking in their direction, because Tony quickly redirected his gaze down at his gauntlet. “Okay, look, life is not fanfiction,” he said under his breath. “Tony hasn’t even interacted with Steve, not really. I mean, he helped put up posters for Cap’s election as student body president - “

“When have you ever known Tony to take anything seriously?” Kamala pointed out. “No, he’s here to watch Steve, maybe he’s trying to work himself up to asking, who knows, but he’s here to watch Steve. Pining from afar, I’d say.” Kamala tugged on her shirt a little, clicked through the website again, and sighed. “I know it’s none of my business, but Steve doesn’t even look at anyone. He just mopes around the campus. He’s not looking for love, and Tony’s... well.” She dropped her voice low, causing Sam to lean close to her and try to focus on her words, not the interesting spicy smell of her hair. “Don’t tell anyone, but Tony’s really shy and kinda nervous around people. He doesn’t really know how to interact with anyone.”

Sam leaned back, brow furrowed. Tony had been one of the most confident people he had known - he had helped Tony build his wings to help him be the Falcon, and Tony had talked a mile a minute, referred to himself as a genius no less than ten times, and had loudly tried to school Sam on multiple concepts (some of which, yeah, Sam hadn’t known, but some of them he  _had_  known).

In any case, he twisted his body slightly so he could see Tony out of the corner of his eye without turning his head, and the longer he looked, the more he realized that Kamala was right - Tony kept glancing Steve’s way, barely doing anything at all with his gauntlet unless Kamala or Loki shifted in Tony’s direction, which would make him glance down at his gauntlet and undo (and then redo) the same three screws, over and over.

Turning back to Kamala, he licked his lips. “So why are you pointing this out to  _me_?”

She stared at him like he was particularly dense, and then pushed him.

With a squawk, he fell out of his seat and flopped onto the floor, dragging the attention of Steve, Loki, and Tony. Blushing, he hissed up at her, “What? I can’t read minds, that’s not my skill!”

“Sam, did you not hear a word I said when we first sat down?!” she snapped.

Sam bit his tongue. When they first sat down, he’d been staring at the amazing skinny jeans, the soft-looking, warm coat that puffed out adorably around her neck and wrists to ward off the autumn chill, and ... no, he hadn’t heard a single word she had said. He’d only tuned back in when she pulled up the website they had been working on - a way for superheroes to network, like a superhero-only facebook and livejournal in one - and began working on the coding with her.

“Everything alright?” Steve asked.

“We’re fine!” Kamala called back, and then turned back to Sam, narrowing her eyes.

He sat back up, dropping his head. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I was more focused on getting to spend time with you that I didn’t pay attention.”

After a few moments, Kamala nudged his shoulder. He looked up to see her looking a little sad at him. “Sam... you know I  _don’t_  date. And I know you know that... and while I really like you, I want to keep being friends, but it’s not fair to you if you think it’s more than it is.”

“I don’t, I swear,” Sam said quickly. “I know that, and I know you want to only meet when there are other people around, and I don’t want you to change that, but at the same time you’re really pretty and sometime I’m not thinking clearly. I’ll work on that. I swear.”

Kamala patted his hand and clicked out of the website. “I said, Sam, at the beginning of this all, that Natasha and Janet have a running bet on when those two finally pull their heads out of their asses, and I would like to beat them at their own game. Plus, Steve looks so  _sad_  all the time. If he was hanging out Tony, I bet he’d have a better time.”

 _Now_ , Sam finally realized what was expected of him, and he flushed a little. “You know, just because I’ve got an owl’s coloring -”

“I know,” Kamala laughed, gathering up her notebook and pen. “You’re definitely not as observant as myths make owls out to be. Then again, that’s what I find cute about you, so.” She stood up, picking up her satchel, and tapped her pen against her notebook. “Just consider it, yeah?”

Sam nodded. He was a pretty good friend to Steve, and Tony loved to tinker on his wings with Sam. He could try to bring it up, to the best of his ability.

He may not be a lot like the myths made up about owls, but he was quick, and he was sharp. He could do this.

At least, he could try.


End file.
